About Jordan :Bethany
     
 

 


:: Important new information about the area of Bethany beyond the Jordan where John the Baptist preached and baptized during the early days of his ministry – has recently been revealed following archaeological surveys and excavations along the length of Wadi Al-Kharrar since 1996.

Combined evidence from the biblical text, Byzantine and medieval writers' accounts, and most recent archaeological works,
 



place the tradition of John the Baptist's mission, including the baptism of Jesus, adjacent to -- and directly east of -- the Jordan River, in the land of the modern Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

 :: John 1:28 speaks of: Bethany beyond the Jordan the place where John baptized; the expression "beyond the Jordan" referring to the east bank of the river. In a later reference to the same place on the east bank, John 10:40 says that Jesus travelled across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized: "And He went again beyond the Jordan, into that place where John was first baptizing and there He abode". Mathew 3:13 states that Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John, while Mark 1:9 says Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.

 

 

:: The recent excavations in Jordan in 1997 uncovered a series of ancient sites associated with the tradition of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus, located along the length of Wadi Al-Kharrar, east of the river. At the site of Tell Al-Kharrar, identified as Bethany beyond the Jordan, a Byzantine monastery was discovered. The site is located nearly two kilometers (1.2 miles) east of the Jordan River, at the start of the Wadi Al-Kharrar. Several natural springs form pools that start the flow of water through the Wadi Al-Kharrar, eventually feeding into the Jordan River. An idyllic oasis dominates the start of Wadi Al-Kharrar and the site of Tell Al-Kharrar.